Draft gear centering clip



Nov. 193%,

R. s. FIRTH DRAFT GEAR' CENTERING CLIP Filed Sept. 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q N Inveniar Richard ,6? Erik B g/Wily Nov. 8, was. R. FIRTH 2,135,704

DRAFT GEAR CENTERING CLIP Filed Sept. 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /.4 1 I i l i I i Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STTES Arr ll Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient centering means for cylinders or housings of friction draft gears of railway cars, which may be readily attached to the sills without the use of rivets or other similar securing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centering means of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph, which is especially designed for application to draft sills having openings therein, the openings being made use of in connection with securing the centering means in position on said sills.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centering means for cylinders or housings of draft gears, which centering means is in the form of a pair of metal clips clamped to the opposed draft sills of a railway car.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide centering means in the form of metal clips having bendable portions by which the clips may be clamped to the draft sills of a railway car, thereby facilitating attachment of the centering means to the sills, the clips being especially designed for application to sills having openings therethrough, each clip being in the form of a metal member having a loop portion and a pair of arms extending from said loop portion, the loop portion being disposed on the inner side of the sill to which it is attached, and overlapping the web of the sill at said opening, the arms extending through said opening, .and the extremities of said arms being bent outward- 1y into engagement with the outer side of the web of the sill to lock the clip in fixed relation with the inner side of the loop thereof in position to center and guide the cylinder or housing of the draft gear.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel blank from which a centering clip may be readily manufactured by simple bending and forming operations.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient method of manufacturing centering clips from sheet material, by cutting and shaping operations, whereby a complete clip is produced which may be readily clamped in position on the draft sill of a railway car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of applying and securing centering clips of bendable material to draft sills of railway cars involving only simple bending operations,

whereby the clips are securely clamped in position.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a part plan and part horizontal, longitudinal; sectional view of a portion of a draft rigging of a railway car, showing my improvements in connection therewith, the usual cover plate for the draft sills being omitted in said view. Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional View corresponding substantially to the line 2--2 of Figure 1, the coupler stem, yoke, shock absorbing mechanism and front follower of the rigging being omitted in said view. Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view cor responding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the improved clip is formed. Figure 5 is an edge elevational view of the finished clip before application to the draft sill of the rigging. Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the clip shown in Figure 5, looking from right to left in said last-named figure. Figures 7, 8 and 9 are exterior elevational views of a portion of one of the draft sills of a railway car, illustrating three consecutive steps in the method of applying the improved clip to the sill. Figure 10 is a vertical, sectional View corresponding to the line lil|ll in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9, showing the clip clamped in position on the sill, said view being partly broken away.

In said drawings, ill-l9 indicate channelshaped draft sills of a railway draft rigging, having the usual front and rear stop lugs H-il secured to the inner sides of the vertical webs i2-l2 thereof. The sills iii-40 are of the type which have openings therethrough, said openings being indicated by l3i3. The inner end of the usual drawbar is indicated by It, and a yoke i5 is connected thereto in the usual manner. A front follower l6 and a shock absorbing mechanism are contained in the yoke. The shock absorbing mechanism illustrated is of a well-known design, comprising a friction casing or housing Ill, friction shoes l8l8-i8, a wedge l9 and spring resistance means (not shown) within the casing. As illustrated, the friction casing I l is of hexagonal cross-section and has two of the walls thereof disposed vertically, said walls being indicated by Eli-28. The wedge I9 bears on the follower l6 and the rear end of the casing ll is laterally enlarged, as shown, said enlarged portion cooperating with the rear stop lugs I l-ll in the manner of the usual rear follower. As shown in Figure 3, the friction casing I1 is supported on the lower arm of the yoke I5 and the yoke, in turn, is supported on a saddle plate 2| secured to the bottom flanges of the sills III-I0.

My improved centering means comprises a pair of metal clips AA secured to the draft sills I0-I 0. Each clip A comprises a partial loop portion 30, disposed on the inner side of the corresponding sill I0, and top and bottom arms 3I and 32 extending from said loop portion through the opening l3 of the web I2 of the sill I0. The outer end of the arm 3| terminates in spaced fingers 33-33, which are bent upwardly against the outer face of the web I2 of the sill in clamping relation therewith. The extremity 34 of the bottom arm 32 is bent downwardly against the outer side of the web I2 of said sill, therebyproviding a hook member which is in clamping relation with the sill. The loop section of each clip includes a vertical section 35 and curved upper and lower sections 36-36 connecting the vertical section 35 to the arms 3I and.32. As most clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 11, the loop section 30 of each clip extends beyond the top and bottom walls of the opening I3 of the corresponding sill in overlapping relation with the metal of the Web of said sill. As will be evident, when the clips A-A are clamped in position by the bent extremities of the arms 3I and 32, as shown in Figure 3, the sections of the loops 30-30, which overlap the webs I2-I 2 of the sills at said openings I 3-I3 of the sills, will be clamped tightly against the inner sides of the webs. The parts are so proportioned that the vertical sections 35-35 of the loops 30-30 of the clips AA are spaced apart the required distance to properly center and guide the casing I! of the friction gear therebetween, the fiat outer surfaces of the sections 35-35 being opposed to the vertical walls 20-20 of the casing.

My improved clips are formed from fiat blanks cut from bar material, one of said blanks being shown in Figure 4, said blank being indicated by 31. The blank 3'I.is in the form of an elongated, flat plate having a forked upper end portion, providing spaced fingers 33-33. The fingers 33-33 are preferably formed by cutting away the metal of the blank 31, as indicated at 38.

The finished clip, before application to the draft sill, is shown in Figures 5 and 6. As shown in said figures, the clip comprises a loop 30 and partially formed upper and lower arms I3I and I32 extending therefrom. The loop 30 includes a vertical section 35 and the curved upper and lower sections 36-36 hereinbefore described. The curved sections 36-36 connect the section 35 to said arms I3I and I32. Thelower arm I32 is in the form of a hook member I34 of the shape shown in Figure 5. The upper arm I3! is in the form of a forked member comprising laterally spaced fingers I33-I33, one of said fingers bein disposed at right angles and the other parallel to the section 35 of the loop of said clip, as shown in Figure 5. The clip illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 is formed by bending the blank shown in Figure 4 to shape. The shaping of the blank into form is preferably performedin a single operation, by bending the blank about a suitable mandrel by means of shaping dies.

The operationof applying and securing the clip, shown in Figures 5 and 6, to the draft sill is performed as follows: The clip is placed on the inner side of the sill III in the position shown in Figure 1, so that the extremity of the hook I34 and the projecting finger I33 at the right-hand side of said clip, as viewed in said figure, will register with and may freely enter the elongated opening I3 of said sill. The finger I33 and the hook I34 are then pushed through the opening I3 to such an extent that the upper and lower portions of the loop 30 will engage with and bear on the inner face of the web I2 of the sill. The clip is then rotated from the position shown in Figure '7, through that shown in Figure 8, to the position shown in Figures9 and 10. The fingers I33-I33 and the hook I34 are then bent to form the clamping fingers 33-33 and the clamping extremity .34 of the arms 3I and 32, respectively, as hereinbe'fore described and as illustrated in Figures 1,

2, 3 and 11, thereby clamping the clip in fixed position on the sill. In bending the parts of the clip from the shape shown in Figures 9 and 10 to that shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 11, the arm I33, which is at right angles to the section 35 of the loop-30, is bent upwardly against the outer side of the web I2 of the sill above the opening I3, the extremity of the hook I34 is bent downwardly against said web below said opening, and the finger I33, which is parallel to said section 35 of the loop 30, is bent outwardly and then upwardly against the Web so as to engage and lie flatly against the same above said opening.

In this connection, it is pointed out that the application of the clip to the sill is greatly facilitated by providing the partially formed clip, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, having two spaced fingers at the upper end, one of which is left parallel to the section 35 and the other of which is disposed at right angles to said section, in that the projecting portions of the arms of the clip;

may be readily entered through the opening I3 of the draft sill I0 and the clip turned to a position where it will be temporarily held, through engagement of the hooked lower end with the metal of the sill, during the final bending and clamping operation.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be evident that I have provided exceedingly simple centering means for the casings of friction shock absorbers of railway draft riggings, which centering means may be economically manufactured and readily applied to the draft sills of the railway car without the use of rivetsor similar securing means, simple bending operations only being required to clamp the clip tightly in position.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, butthe same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within'the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I'claim:

1. In means for centering and guiding casings of draft gears, the combination with laterally spaced draft sills adapted to accommodate the casing therebetween, said sills having elongated openings therethrough, said openings being in transverse alignment; of a pair of centering members, each member having an elongated guide portion disposed on the inner side of the corresponding sill, said guide portion extending across said opening, transversely of the length of said opening and having its ends projecting beyond the limits of said opening in engagement with the inner side of said sill, said guide portion having a guide face extending lengthwise of the sill, and spaced arms on said guide portion formed integral therewith and extending through said opening, the extremities of said arms being bent into tight clamping engagement with the outer side of said sill.

2. In means for centering and guiding casings of a draft gear, the combination with spaced draft sills adapted to accommodate said casing therebetween, sa'id sills having longitudinally elongated openings therethrough; of a pair of centering members, each member having a vertically disposed elongated guide portion disposed on the inner side of the corresponding sill and presenting a guide surface opposed to the guide surfaceof the other clip of said pair, said guide portion extending across said opening and having the upper and lower ends thereof overlapping the metal of said sill surrounding said opening, each member also having securing elements thereon in the form of arms integral with said guide portion and extending through and beyond the opening of the corresponding sill, said arms having their extremities bent in reverse directions, into tight clamping engagement with the outer side of said sill.

3. In means for centering and guiding casings of draft gears, the combination with spaced draft sills extending lengthwise of the car and adapted to accommodate the casing of a gear therebetween, each of said sills having an elongated opening therethrough, said opening extending lengthwise of the sill; of guide members at opposite sides of the casing, between said casing and the sills, each guide member including a head and spaced top and bottom arms integral with said head, said head being on the inner side of the sill and presenting an inwardly facing guide surface, said arms extending through the opening of the sill, said head being of greater height than said opening, and said arms being folded in opposite directions against the outer side of said sill.

4. In means for centering and guiding casings of draft gears, the combination with spaced longitudinally extending draft sills adapted to accommodate a casing therebetween, said sills having transversely aligned longitudinally elongated openings therethrough; of a pair of clips attached to said sills, said clips having guide heads on the inner side of said sills and clamping arms formed integral with and projecting from said heads, through the opening of said sills, the heads of said clips being interposed between the sills and the casing of the gear and presenting inwardly facing guide surfaces cooperating with said casing, the head of each clip being of greater vertical dimension than the opening of the corresponding sill and extending vertically across said opening, each head being in the form of a loop comprising a vertical section spaced from the corresponding sill, relatively short top and bottom sections extending, respectively, upwardly and downwardly from said opening of the sill, said last-named sections bearing on the inner face of the sill, and curved end sections connecting said top and bottom sections to said first-named vertical section, said arms being in the form of hook members forming continuations of said top and bottom sections, extending through the opening of the sill with the extremities of said hook members in clamping engagement with the outer side of the sill.

5. In means for centering and guiding casings of draft gears, the combination with spaced draft sills adapted to accommodate the casing of a draft gear therebetween, said sills having openings therethrough, the opening of each sill being elongated in a direction lengthwise of the sill; of a pair of clips secured to said sills, each clip comprising top and bottom hook-like portions and a loop section integral with and forming a continuation of said portions, said loop section presenting a guide surface for the casing of the draft gear said hooklike portions being engaged through the opening of the corresponding sill, one of said portions being forked providing a pair of spaced fingers, the extremities of said hook-like portions being in clamping engagement with the outer side of the sill, said loop-like section comprising a vertically disposed straight member spaced from the inner side of the sill, and curved end members above and below the opening of the sill connecting the hook-like sections to said straight member, said curved members abutting the inner side of the sill.

6. A centering clip adapted for attachment to a draft sill having an elongated opening therethrough, said clip comprising a substantially fiat plate section having its opposite ends curved inwardly toward each other, one of said curved ends terminating in a reversely curved hook and the other curved end terminating in a pair of fingers, one of said fingers being parallel to said flat plate section but spaced therefrom, and the other of said fingers projecting in a direction at right angles to said plate section.

7. A centering clip adapted for attachment to a draft sill having an elongated opening therethrough, said clip comprising an elongated platelike section, a downwardly opening hook at the lower end of said plate-like section spaced laterally'therefrom, a finger at the other end of said section parallel to said section, a second finger at said last-named end at right angles to said plate-like section, and rounded end portions at the opposite ends of said plate-like section, respectively, connecting said hook and fingers thereto, said hook and second-named finger being insertable through the opening of the sill when said clip is being applied, said hook and fingers being bendable to clamp said clip in position on the sill.

8. A centering clip adapted for attachment to a draft sill having an elongated opening therethrough, said clip comprising a loop section having a hook at one end portion thereof, and a pair of bendable fingers at the other end.

9. A centering clip adapted for attachment to a draft sill having an oblong opening there through comprising a loop portion and arms connected to said loop portion, said loop including a straight section provided at opposite ends with inwardly bent curved portions terminating in said arms, said arms being bendable, one of said arms being split lengthwise into two fingers, one of said fingers projecting in a direction perpendicular to said straight section, the other arm being in the form of a hook bent reversely to the curved portion to which it is connected, the end of the hook and said last-named finger being I spaced apart a distance greated than the shorter dimension of said oblong opening of the draft sill, but less than the longer dimension of said oblong opening, whereby said hook and lastnamed finger may be inserted within the opening when said clip is disposed diagonally of said opening.

RICHARD S. FIRTH. 

